Before Tony
by fabianskeeper
Summary: Who was Maria before she was part of the beautiful Romeo and Juliet story that touched hundreds of hearts? She was just a girl who loved a Jet.


**Hi All!**

**I know this isn't a popular ship but I like it. **

**This is just something I wrote last April/May. I hope you enjoy it! :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, if I did I would not be writing this... instead it would be in the movie/musical!**

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When Maria's lips met Tony's she felt like she was floating on air. Her first real kiss in a while. It was a sweet kiss, one that made her feel loved. But it didn't feel _quite_ right. There was something wrong, something that wasn't there. Suddenly she felt Tony's body being roughly shoved away from her own and the word 'American' pierced the air like a train-whistle. The music even stopped.

Maria opened her eyes and she realized where her odd feeling was coming from. That something that was missing. Standing with his hand gripping Tony's arm, his knuckles white, was Riff. His eyes boring holes into her. She felt his gaze trace her form and felt his eyes even when she turned around to face Anita. How could she have forgotten he would be here? How could she have been so stupid? When she turned around again Bernardo was talking to Chino, pointing at her and then at the door.

She didn't want to leave; this was her first dance! It was only 10:30!

"But Nardo…" she started to protest, but she saw Riff's dark eyes in the crowd and felt the bile rising in her throat and quickly shut her mouth.

"You are going home Maria." Bernardo said sternly, pointing at the door again.

"Si Nardo." Maria hung he head in defeat and Chino took her hand. It was rough and sweaty. Riff's hand had always been calloused, but cold. She had loved tracing her fingers over the various scars on his knuckles and hearing the story behind every one. She let Chino take her to the door; the sooner she left the better. When she looked back, Riff was still there, his face contorted in anger, his eyes flaming.

"He's the old married woman." Anita assured her as she and Bernardo left Maria's room, locking the door as they went. She heard Anita scold Bernardo for his harsh behavior but their voices disappeared up the stairs as they headed for the roof.

Maria sighed. She never had any fun. She was never allowed to do anything. All she did was sew, sew, sew.

She looked at herself in the mirror. The dress that Anita had made was beautiful… Beautiful. That's what Riff had called her. Not P.R. or scum or all those other nicknames that where flung at Anita and Bernardo. She was 'Beautiful'. She smiled to herself as she unzipped her dress, then headed to the closet in search of her nightgown. As she reached for it, another dress caught her eye: the pale yellow one with the white flowers along the bottom. She pulled that one out instead and brought it to the light. Her mother had made it for her for when they arrived in America. She had worn it the first day she left the apartment. Bernardo, Anita, and Chino had shown her the city and its sites. Maria had sat out on the fire escape that night and looked out at the stars. This was the dress of innocence, the reminder of how carefree she was before everything started spiraling downwards. She hugged it to her chest, she then she slipped the dress over her head. When she had smoothed out all the pleats, she admired her reflection and twirled in front of the mirror.

Maria heard laughter coming from the above her head and stopped. _It's not fair that I don't have any fun_ she thought angrily, her hands balling into fists. But the laughter subsided and she felt a wave of relief wash over her.

She spun around in the dress once more and took it off. She went to her closet, but again she was distracted by another dress. This one was just a plain blue work dress, but it made her smile. When she smelled it, it still smelled of cigarette smoke. She rubbed it against her cheek and remembered when she had met Riff. It was on her way back from work. He was running from a police car and they had crashed into each other. After she had recovered from her shock, she remembered thinking he was handsome. Instead of spitting in her face, he helped her from the ground and apologized. After that, she watched him almost everyday as he went by on his way to the playground. The first time she kissed him she remembered tasting cigarette smoke. When she had come home smelling of it, Bernardo had demanded to know where she had been. She lied and told him that when she was leaving work a man had breathed out his cigarette on her. Every time after that when Maria had come home, Bernardo had smelled her hair and her clothes. She had been careful to tell Riff not to smoke after that. She had never worn her blue dress again, because she could never really get the smell of the cigarettes out of it.

She put on the dress and was enveloped in the smell. She could only button the bottom two buttons, but it didn't stop her from twirling in front of the mirror. She combed her hair with her fingers and twirled once more. As she spun she smelled cigarette smoke waft from her dress. But when she stood still she smelled it also… Then she heard someone breathe out and the smoke tickled her nose.

She whirled around and saw a shape standing in the window, leaning against the fame. One arm crossed his body and the other held a cigarette to his lips.

"I thought we talked about not smoking in this room." Maria said coolly. The figure turned his head and the light from the lamp caught his eyes. She could see them looking at her with the same intense heat that she was caught under at the dance.

"Oh right. Habit." Riff took one last puff and then threw the cigarette out the window. He stepped down from the windowsill and she could see him fully now.

"How long have you been here?" She asked backing way as he moved closer.

"Long enough to see you change out of two dresses." He did not smile nor break eye contact with her. Maria blushed.

"Why did you not say anything?" She put a hand to her face and was met with warmth.

"Because I like fashion shows. I thought you were never going to wear that dress again."

"I wanted to try it on." Maria backed away even more, clutching at the back of her dress to keep it closed.

"Why?" His eyes where steady and she wanted him to break eye contact so badly. He took a step closer.

"Because." He chuckled at her childlike response.

"'Because' is not an answer Maria. Why?" He took another step closer to her and she backed up into her mirror.

"If you must know, I do love this dress. I can't wear it though because of you and your stupid cigarettes." His eyes flared but his face remained calm.

"It's not my fault I'm addicted." He said standing only five feet away from her. His gaze still held hers, but when she heard him say this she was forced to look away, holding the back of her dress even tighter.

"I know," she said softly, "I do not want to hear that story again."

"Here, turn around," he said motioning with his hand. She tried to back up even more.

"Why?"

"Because, your dress is unbuttoned." Maria turned around slowly and he moved behind her. The first button was at the base of her back and the last was at her neck; that made twenty buttons. Maria closed her eyes. Riff took the same amount of time to button each one, his fingers never touching her skin unlike she had hoped. When Riff reached the twelfth button he placed her hair over her left shoulder and continued. He buttoned the next seven methodically. When he reached the last one his fingers lingered and touched her skin for the first time. His fingers were cold but when they left her neck she felt her skin heat up.

"There… you're beautiful." Riff said placing his hands on her shoulders, the fingers of his right hand slowly tracing the muscles of her neck.

"You're not allowed to say that anymore."

"Why not? It's true," he whispered in her ear, his breath sending shivers up her spine. She blushed again, this time deeper, "I'm allowed to tell the truth, aren't I?"

"Maybe," Maria looked at the mirror and saw him in it too, standing behind her, looking at their reflection. She closed her eyes and swallowed, "Please go." His grip tightened on her shoulders.

"Why?" his voice was deadly.

"Because Bernardo and Chino… they know something is going on. I heard them this afternoon. They where talking about me being out too late last week. They _know_ I was with someone other than Rosalina, even though she lied for me. But they knew and they still know ! That's why I didn't…"

"That's why you didn't show up that night," he laughed but it came out forced.

"I'm sorry," She turned to face him placing her hands on his chest.

"No your not." His eyes were a sea of pain, again not breaking eye contact. He grabbed both her wrists.

"I couldn't come that night because…" she started.

"Because why?" She hesitated, "You don't have an explanation do you Maria?" He held her wrists in a firm grip.

"Riff, Riff your hurting me!" She tried to twist her arms so he would let go, but to no avail. His breathing was heavy.

"I waited until four in the morning!"

"I know, just please let go!" But his grip only became more unbearable and Maria gasped at the pain.

"Why did you kiss Tony?" he asked; his voice a harsh whisper, his eyes nothing but anger.

"Because he made me feel loved," Maria shot back. She could she the surprise in Riff's eyes, but his face remained unfazed.

"And _I_ didn't?" Maria felt a twinge of remorse, but she persisted.

"He wasn't afraid to kiss me in public!" She hissed back.

"I never said…"

"But you implied it!" She felt the tears form in her eyes.

"You saw how your brother reacted to Tony. How do you think he would react if his "sworn enemy" even touched his precious little sister? And the guys would never talk to me again."

"So you are worried about your friends and how they will react to _me_? I am more scared of them than they are of me." But he completely ignored her.

"And not to mention Tony. He's my best friend, Maria, my best friend! I almost lost it in the gym tonight. Watching him _touch_ you like that. I just wanted to be in his place so badly." He sounded so broken and for the first time that night, Riff broke eye contact and looked at his hands around her wrists. Maria stared at him; she had never seen him look so upset. She was reminded of the time that he had spent the night on the floor of her bedroom. He had stumbled in at around one a.m., looking like he had been in a fight. He had a gash on his right cheek and his left eye had been black and blue. His lips were swollen and his entire stomach was skinned. The worst of all had been his back. It looked as though someone had taken a hot medal rod and hit him across the back with it. When he tried to explain he couldn't; his neck had had bruises shaped like fingers around it. When he had been able to speak, he said that his uncle had cornered him in an alley with a poker and beaten him within an inch of his life. He probably would have killed him, had his uncle not heard a police siren in the distance. So he'd left Riff to die instead. "Why weren't you?"

"Now all Tony can seem to talk about is you"-his voice cracked- "and I can't tell him that you're off limits. That you're mine, even if you don't want me." His grip slackened on her wrists.

"Of course I want you." Maria said, placing a hand on his face. His eyes snapped up to hers.

"Really?" He sounded halfway between relieved and unconvinced. Maria laughed softly and slid both her arms around his neck.

"Yes really." Riff let out a breathy laugh and then kissed her. It wasn't Tony's sweet, innocent kiss, this one was rough and she felt a fire start in the pit of her stomach. Riff's arms wrapped around her waist pressing her closer to him. She wound her fingers in his hair and pressed his face closer to hers.

They were shattered apart by commotion on the other side of the door. There were many voices, the words 'American' and 'Jets'; Bernardo's voice was heavy as it spat out the name 'Riff'.

"See what I mean? It's not safe for me here," he kissed her cheek, "and not safe for you while I'm here."

"Must you go?" Maria asked holding him tighter. Riff smiled, but nodded.

"Yeah." He kissed her one last time. When he tried to break the kiss, she held on tighter and mumbled: "No."

He held her face while he explained. "Maria, I have to go. The war council is at Doc's and I gotta be there before Bernardo…"

Suddenly they heard a voice saying: "Ay, chicos, un momento. I'm going to check on Maria," it was Bernardo.

"Shit," Riff cursed, "Doc's. Tomorrow night, midnight." And then he was gone the way he came, leaving Maria to face Bernardo alone.

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**Well I hope you liked it! ****Reviews would be cherished by me if given so... GIVE! 3**


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